Shenango/Mercer chat

[bluegill7]

I know this is a thread on Shenango but saw some of the comments posted when checking the updates for Shenango - same issue at Wilhelm.  "What do you do with 6 or 7 inch crappies?" - they get ground into fish patties with all the other ones they keep. 

[chumster]

Not trying to be a smarta$$ here. If you're looking to catch fish of any size, this time of year, then shenango isn't the place you should be fishing. The only places to fish early ice get pressured so bad in the first week that the keeper size fish are either all caught or move away to deeper channels where the ice isn't safe. Size limits and slot limits will only hurt this lake. These fish reproduce so fast there that they'll be stunted in 2 seasons. There's a tremendous amount of keeper crappies in this lake and there will be after iceout as there is every year. This lakes ice wont let you get to them. So dont blame the buggy guys for thinning the crappie populations. They're really doing us a favor by letting the big fish get bigger. You want big fish, use your map to find the channel, then check the ice where you see it's located. You'd better have your PFD on when you go tho. Best bet, if you want fish big enough to suit your taste, fish a diffrent lake thru the ice. Chaunc

[Bull Lifter]

Not trying to be a smarta$$ here. If you're looking to catch fish of any size, this time of year, then shenango isn't the place you should be fishing. The only places to fish early ice get pressured so bad in the first week that the keeper size fish are either all caught or move away to deeper channels where the ice isn't safe. Size limits and slot limits will only hurt this lake. These fish reproduce so fast there that they'll be stunted in 2 seasons. There's a tremendous amount of keeper crappies in this lake and there will be after iceout as there is every year. themThis lakes ice wont let you get to . So dont blame the buggy guys for thinning the crappie populations. They're really doing us a favor by letting the big fish get bigger. You want big fish, use your map to find the channel, then check the ice where you see it's located. You'd better have your PFD on when you go tho. Best bet, if you want fish big enough to suit your taste, fish a diffrent lake thru the ice. Chaunc

Ha. Not to be a smart ass but I am... To be honest with you taking small fish out of any lake is the stupidest idea in the world. if you keep taking smaller fish that (class/year) of fish is gone. the next year that size fish that woulda been a keeper isnt there. its gone. wont come back, and will not come back. if you dont understand what im saying...ill say it this way, you keep a 8 inch crappie, there wont be a the 9inch next year. and then the next year those 8inch crappies arent around so then you get 7 inchers or atleast should. if fished this lake just about every year. i've caught all different sizes so i cant say the classes of fish wouldnt be there for the next year or to say its not fished out. but then again it definetly can and will and is. so your saying put 100 guys out there and all catch just sya 10 "keepers" being from 8inches and above" 500 fish a day. say that ahppens for 10 days thats 1000 fish you just took out of there tahts in that keeper range, i know its a big i know it the crappies grow pretty fast but i mean c'mon. taking little fish is stupid and if you think thats a smart idea. then you are an idiot. explain to me why the blue gills never grow up? they cant be stunted. with all of the pressure fishing you think they would be monsters in there...

[chumster]

Bull, not an idiot, but not a genius either. I've been fishing this lake for well over forty years. I cant, nor will i attempt to argue with you on a website. So believe what you will. I just posted MY experiences with this lake. Talk to the C.O.E. guys about this lake. I do. No way will any group, fish out a whole year class here. Maybe in a small lake or pond if you can fish all of it year round. Not shenango lake. I can personally say i've caught over 5,000 crappies just last year from 5" to 16" from this lake. Threw back at least 2/3 of all sizes. Kept a couple hundred during the spawn that were 11 and 12 inches. Threw more bigger and smaller ones back. Fish of all sizes are there. I can find them anytime of year. You have to be familliar with the lake to know where they'll be. I just know this lake.

[Bull Lifter]

no where did i state, that you could take the whole fish class out of the lake, there just gonna be less. i still think they should put a smaller limit on that lake. they wont get stunned with a limit of 20 a person. hell i'd even like to see a size put on them. its a big lake it gets fished alot all year round mostly for the crappies. you go to shenango for the crappie bite basically.

[Indiana_Lou]

Just thought I would add my $.02 concerning fish population. I still feel that a reduced creel limit should occur throughout the winter season until say mid-April or May 1. This would give the majority of fish a chance to spawn. I kept eight perch the other day from Yellow Creek. Six out of the eight were females full of eggs. They were only 8-10" fish and didn't look real fat and pregnant like. If I know the fish is full of eggs I often will release it. I think when you multiply the number of females being removed during ice time it puts a dent in the future population. I think this is really relevant when you have a smaller body of water. As in the case of Shennango, that's a pretty big body of water and may not have as detrimental effect. Just a thought. Selective harvest and usage should be followed.   Lou

[chumster]

A 30 fish limit would be nice. Enforcing a size limit would also be nice but the man power to enforce these would take adding quite a few more workers. Have to have a bigger budget, which wont happen anytime soon.

[captain54]

Smitty, you may be the king of the lake,but I've fished the lake just as long as you.Years ago you could get giant crappies on the ice at all three fishing spots.You didn't need to keep 50 the fish were huge15 or 20 where all you needed.I could fish behind the Island at G.R. and pound them all day,not just morning and eve bite like now.I know the lake has tons of crappies of all size,and there are plenty of big ones where you can't get to them,but this lake has gone down hill.As you stated by keeping little ones good for the lake,then everybody should ice the first 50 they get 4inches and up, ice um.The fishery would be gone soon with that thinking.Did you ever fish Pymy?Tons of eyes 30 or more a day spring or ice.What happend to all of them?Alot of them went home and where not 15 inches.I don't know if you deer hunt,but thats another story.Point is with the amount anglers in the state a lake can get over fished,Why does Erie have a size limit and reduced limit on perch?To protect the fishery,so that young kids can grow up and still have perch.If people abuse a fishery it will be gone.I'm not hear to fight with you,just stating my opinion. Good fishing the Captain.

[chumster]

You guys may be right. Hopefully, i'm wrong. I've only been icefishing 5 years.

[1MOFISH]

last year they slaughtered the crappies in moraine this year its a tough bite it gets hammered all year hope that is a fluke    mo

[sparky]

Captain I have to agree with you, been fishing the Shenango area since before they put the dam in.  Years ago the old timers would yell and cuss at you for taking out all those sub 12 inch fish.  Now it's any size goes home.  It was nothing to go out and have a good time with quality fish for everyone.  There even use to be a good night bite at times.  Now try and fish a couple of hours after dark and you will waste your time.


A few years ago Wilhelm had a really good size class of crappies, and the word got out. The next 4 years in a row the size of fish went down hill.

Crappies aren't mature until at leat 2-3 years old.  At that time they are in the 7 inch range.  By removing all of those sub 12 inch fish your removing spawning classes from the lake.  Here's something from the Pa web site http://www.fish.state.pa.us/pafish/fishhtms/chap22.htm.

Take what you want for a meal and leave the rest for seed.  There's no reason to fill a freezer.  I cringe everytime I see those buckets of little fish being taken home.  But I guess in todays society it's a way of showing how good of a fisherman or fisherwoman your are by hulling buckets of fish from the lake. 

The only ones that can take care of the lake are the people who fish it.  You can't abuse it constantly and expect it produce nice quality fish for ever.  I'll step off my soap box now, have fun and be safe. 

[Bob_G]

Just adding my .02. I fish a lake in NY. that lake gets hammered and I mean hard at first ice.  it is a glacial lake and every year I watch 5 gallon buckets full of big gills go home with fisherman and the commercial fisherman and every year there are a ton of big gills to be had. The point I am trying to make, you need to remove big and little fish preferably the smaller ones here in pa. The remaining fish will have plenty of food and room to grow. I personally think that on some (not all) of the lakes you should keep a mixed bag of different size fish and see how it goes after a couple of seasons I think you will start to see larger average fish.

[winchester 88]

I've fished Shenango for several years and know that there are nice crappies to be found there.I have caught a few of them and seen some nice ones that other guys have caught.
 I have been there 3 times in the last week and have been skunked for the most part.The fish that I did catch were all dinks,but I don't believe that it is necessarily true that there are no big fish around.
 I agree with the brother that said that the fish are in deeper water but with the present set of conditions it is not safe to go there to fish for them.
 This is a Corp of Engineers operated flood control lake.They control the flow thru the lake and the water level and I see exposed structure that I have never seen before and the lake seems to be drawn down a lot at this time.
 With the recent warm temperatures and only in the last week or so has it been cold enough to bring on the ice and while there is ice all over the lake,I don't feel safe going out over the deep channels where I have caught fish in the summer and marked fish in the fall.
 I would like to see a catch limit of 25 or 30 fish for a couple of years just to see what results that it would produce.

Winchester 88

[Bull Lifter]

I personally think that on some (not all) of the lakes you should keep a mixed bag of different size fish and see how it goes after a couple of seasons I think you will start to see larger average fish.

Well i know you said "not all" lakes, but I've been seeing this for more then just this year of ppl taking "mixed bags" so i dont think its making what you are saying of the larger then average fish appear.

Winchester 88, its in its winter pool. its usually around that level i noticed a couple different stumps poking out but the channel depth is still about same. I heard they were gonna drop it more so it would reduce flooding in the spring. I can buy that maybe the fish are in deeper water, but I remember as a kid going to Golden Run and catching just as big and just as many fishing right there and people were doing the same in the deep water.  I also know since this short ice season wont tell us much...but it could be just a bad time of year and the fish just really may not be around. So who knows but needless to say it is sickening to see 7 inch crappies on the ice and then complain about how the size of fish has gone down hill.

[Bob_G]

 I spent sometime last week in michigan fishing and the fishing was poor there and a buddy called from new york and said the fishing was bad there. The reason fishing has been poor all over is the fact that we got a really hard cold front come in to bring us the ice and we were in the full moon cycle those two facts combine for poor fishing. Today we have another cold front coming in and I don't expect the fishing to get much better.
 bottom line we have to deal with it and any day ice fishing is way better than any day at work.